1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus used to aid individuals to measure distances and volumes and, more particularly, to such an apparatus used to measure the distances and volumes in a transport trailer or cargo container.
2. Description of the Related Art
Transport truck operators often haul cargo varying distances on enclosed trailers or cargo containers. Generally, it is more cost-efficient to fully load the trailer or cargo container with cargo.
In most regions in the U.S., it is common for a truck operator to transport cargo for different companies. On any particular trip, the trailer or cargo container, hereinafter referred to as trailer, may contain cargo picked up from several locations and intended to be delivered to different destinations. Most companies find it desirable to transport all of their cargo in one trailer rather than splitting it up into smaller batches and transporting multiple trailers to reduce breakage or shrinkage. Transporting all of the cargo in one trailer makes the loading and unloading process more cost-efficient.
Most highways in the U.S. have weight restrictions on trucks which force truck operators to be cognizant of the total weight of their cargo. One common method used by truck operators to determine the total weight of the cargo inside the trailer is to determine the weight of a given unit of cargo, place a specific number of units of cargo on a pallet, and then load a specific number of pallets onto the truck. By multiplying weight per given unit of cargo by the number of units per pallet by the total number of pallets loaded onto the truck, the approximate total weight of the cargo loaded onto the truck can be easily determined.
When a trailer is partially filled with cargo, the operator must accurately determine the amount of cargo that can be added to the trailer. In order to make this determination, the amount of used or available space and the amount of cargo weight available in the trailer must be known. What is needed is an apparatus to aid a truck operator or shipper to quickly and precisely determine the amount of space or cargo weight used or available in a trailer.